1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a label, which has at least two superimposed information carriers with graphical or alphanumeric characters, an at least partially transparent cover, which lies on the uppermost information carrier and the information carrier projects over toward two sides in a plane parallel to the information carriers in at least one spatial direction, an adhesive layer, which at least partly covers at least the part of the cover projecting over the information carrier on the side of the cover facing the information carriers, so that by adhering the cover on a support surface, the information carriers are fixable beneath the cover on the support surface, and the graphical or alphanumeric characters are visible on the uppermost information carrier through the cover.
2. Description of Related Art
Containers with pharmaceutical products are typically provided with various information characterizing the contents, which, as a rule, occurs with printed labels. In this manner, distinctions between information can be made, which for a large number, remain the same on containers, for example, product names, materials of the preparation contained therein, and filling capacity, and information, which changes from order to order, under some conditions, from container to container, for example charge number, filling date, test number, etc.
If the pharmaceuticals are brought into different countries in commerce, the information must be provided in the corresponding language of the respective country. The use of common labels result that already, with labels, in must already be known in which country the container to be labeled is to be brought in commerce. If the containers are selected for an order for different countries, then these must be differently labels and already directly after the labeling, must be correspondingly packaged separately from one another, intermediary stored, and transported further, in order to ensure that they are supplied to their respective country of destination's distribution channels, such that, for example, a container inscribed in Dutch is not sent to Italy. This would mean a detrimentally logistical expense.
An alternative to the foregoing is a multi-language imprinting. Since, however, the available surface of the label is limited, here in particular, with small bottles and ampoule, borders are used, which contain one-layer labels. If common multi-layer labels are used, the so-called “booklet labels” or over-sealed folding sheets, such as are disclosed in EP 0 232 054 and EP 0 304 242, then the problem exists that still this same printed side of the booklet or folded sheets are visible on the container, since these, in common practice, are adhered with the back side of a transparent cover, which the booklet or folding sheets project over and fixes on the container. This has the result that one, with the container designation, must provide either a preferred language, or only a portion of the relevant information in a respective language that is well visible and legible on the container surface, since the printable surfaces of the above-lying side is separated into multiple languages.
With order or container specification information, most are treated with number combinations, such as expiration dates or order numbers, which are independent from the respective language. Merely the associated, explanatory text information, for example, “good until:”, which first makes possible the interpretation, must be presented in the appropriate language. If one wants a specific reference between numeric combinations and corresponding explanatory information to be made, the two should be arranged at a minimal distance from one another, that is, in the best case, they are readable directly next to or under one another. This means for the use of a booklet-label of the above-described type, in which each printed side contains text in a different language, that the order or container specific information must be printed on each side. Since, typically, first container labels with non-order or non-container specific information are printed and provided in great amounts, the order or container specific information first printed shortly before the labels subsequently in a corresponding text gap, the efficiency with booklet-labels of the described type decreases.